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Health Tip for Valentine's Day

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Prescription for good health: sex
Making love has been found to reduce stress, boost the immune system and extend life. So what are you waiting for?

By JENIFER B. McKIM
The Orange County Register

Kerry McCloskey struggled with her weight for years. Then she and her fiancé revved up their sex life and she saw the pounds drop off.

Now the New Jersey writer joins a bevy of authors and researchers touting the health benefits of sex. The top three health bennies: Sex lengthens your life, strengthens your heart and reduces stress, she says.

"It was an accidental discovery,'' said McCloskey, author of "The Ultimate Sex Diet," who found she lost 23 pounds over six months. "It is not just the sex, it is doing exercise together, taking walks, couple time."

Valentine's Day is just two days away and many people are thinking of how best to express their love. Chocolate, wine and jewelry are all good bets. But for long-lasting health, more researchers are saying sex - that would be safe and loving sex  can be one of the best things for you.

"I don't know anything in medicine that has a bigger impact on our health and well-being and survival than love and intimacy,'' said Dean Ornish, author of "Love & Survival: 8 Pathways to Intimacy and Health." "People who are lonely, depressed and isolated are many times more likely to get sick and die prematurely."

If you need any more good reasons for love and sex, here's what some researchers are saying:

REDUCES STRESS
Sex: A recent study published in New Scientist magazine in England reports that people who had sexual intercourse achieved the best in a public-speaking stress test.

Those who pursued other forms of sexual gratification showed fewer benefits and those who abstained had the highest blood pressure of all, the report said.

BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM
Sexual intercourse twice a week will stimulate your immune system, which fights disease, illness and infection in the body, according to researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.

The research, lead by psychologist Carl Charnetski, found that subjects who had regular sex had one-third more levels of Immunoglobulin A, which is the strong antibody that boosts the immune system and maintains general health levels. Couples who had sex more than twice a week found diminishing returns, researchers found.

On the other side of the spectrum, negative feelings can cause health problems.

"Let's say somebody irritates you in the morning. That one five-minute episode of anger tends to deplete the immune system for up to six hours. You become more vulnerable to colds and flus," said Gabriella Boehmer, director of public relations for the Institute of HeartMath in Boulder Creek.

"One five-minute episode of positive emotion like love, care or appreciation can boost the immune system."

EXTENDS LIFE
Love: When we experience positive emotions like love, we have a tendency to produce more of the vitality hormone, DHEA, which makes us healthier and has an impact of longevity, says Howard Martin, executive vice president of HeartMath LLC, a sister for-profit company.

Sex: DHEA, also associated with sex, is said to boost the immune system, repair tissue, keep skin healthy and reduce depression. Another study from Great Britain shows loving couples with a regular sex life look younger than others their age.

Several researchers point out that sex by itself doesn't produce the same healthy benefits without love.

"People who have sex in a loving relationship have stronger immune systems," said Paul Pearsall, author of "The Last Self-Help Book You'll Ever Need." "The healthiest kind leads to the oxytocin release and a heart-to-heart connection."

Another researcher pointed out that love without sex also is not as beneficial.

Charnetski, author of "Feeling Good Is Good for You," measured love through the three variables of intimacy, passion and commitment. He found that couples who were in love and had sex were the healthiest.

"The most important variable was the frequency of sex," said Charnetski.

"It is the pleasure manifestation of it that made the difference."

McCloskey says her relationship had fallen into a rut. Then she got engaged and her sex life started to improve as well as her health. She researched the issue and found there were biological reasons for her feelings.

She discovered foods that are good for libido and overall health. She learned about different exercises.

"(Sex) is truly is a miracle remedy," McCloskey said.

"When you make it a priority, it not only improves your health and your outlook on life, it strengthens your relationship as well."

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